These Powerful Ads Showcasing Marine Animals Held At Gunpoint May Make You Reconsider Your Plastic Use

In our current day and age, where consumerism is rampant, we are so quick to just walk into the store and buy what we need without ever thinking of the impact that “stuff” could actually have on our environment. I mean, think about it: every day we are buying things like disposable razors, toothbrushes, and packaged foods – all of which are generally made out of plastic. Even the bag that we carry them home in is probably plastic. It is all around us, all the time. But do you ever consider exactly where this plastic goes after we have so “conveniently” disposed of these items?

The sad fact of the matter is, there are currently 270,000 TONS of plastic floating on the surface of the ocean alone, and MILLIONS more that are sitting on the ocean floor. It is out of sight, out of mind to many people. We don’t see it, and it’s not directly affecting us (yet), so we don’t really think about the impact we are making.

Unfortunately, our ignorance and carelessness are having an extremely detrimental impact on our oceans. Recent studies have shown that plastic debris specifically threaten extinction to over 700 marine species due to entanglement, consumption, and environmental degradation. What’s more, all of this plastic is increasing the process of ocean acidification, which threatens the entire oceanic kingdom.

Powerful Ads Made By Surfrider Foundation

Luckily, an amazing organization known as the Surfrider Foundation has released a series of advertisements that are aimed at bringing attention to the current oceanic crisis and raising awareness about how we are directly affecting marine life. These are sure to make you think twice about the amount of plastic and garbage you are using in your daily lives.

The ads read: “26 million tons of plastic packaging waste ends up in oceans every year.” Keep in mind, that is just packaging alone.

I should also mention that this organization is doing a lot more to help our oceans than just releasing advertisements. They have been dedicated to cleaning up the world’s oceans since they were founded in 1990 in Biarritz, France, by world famous surfing champion Tom Curren. There are a variety of on-going initiatives to not only inform the public of what is happening, but actually take part in cleaning up and reducing the waste that ends up in the oceans.

What Can You Do?

There are many things that you can do to help with this extremely important cause. The number one thing you can do right now is to drastically cut down your consumption and begin to have a long hard look at the products that you are consuming on a regular basis. You can ask yourselves a few simple questions. Is there an alternative to a product that is sold amidst a crap load of disposable plastic? Could you purchase the same item in bulk using reusable or paper bags or containers? Are there certain products that you can make yourself to save all of that eventual waste from ending up in the trash?

Some of these suggestions may sound far out to you, but in the end it is up to each and every one of us to be the change. It is up to you, me, and every single being on this beautiful planet to make these changes in our lives that can and will have a huge positive impact on the accelerating degradation of this place we amusingly call home.

People Who Are Setting An Amazing Example

Lauren Singer has gone for over 2 years without producing ANY trash. You can read more about her story here.

Justin Vanny runs an entire restaurant called Sandwich Me In, that hasn’t produced any garbage at all in well over 2 years. Read more about that here.

There are also a few noteworthy documentaries that are worth mentioning.

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Collective Evolution (CE) believes in creating change by thinking outside the box. We aim to challenge the current status quo by shaking up how we currently think about the world. We encourage and inspire each other to take action with the goal of bringing to life a bright future for us all. Learn more...